One rescuer was winched down from the helicopter into the water, and hoisted the hapless Akita onto the ice. He propelled it forward to carve a path through the partially-frozen surface and get the animal onto dry land where other rescuers were waiting to wrap it in a blanket.

In a Twitter posting the Border Guard warns people not to go on the ice because it has become so thin in all coastal areas.

Over the Easter weekend they had to rescue at least five people near Oulu who fell through the ice.